Liberals. And Conservatives.
Extreme Conservatives and Extreme Liberals both tend to be fine with bigger, intrusive government - as long as it's the kind of bigger, intrusive they approve of. Extremists in the minor parties like the Tea Party and Libertarians, want major cuts in spending - as long as it's the spending they approve of having cut.

It's just a matter of priorities.
Contrary to the hyperbole, Conservatives don't want the poor to just starve in the streets or never have a chance at getting ahead. They just see welfare and entitlement programs as being more of an impediment to that, than a help. And they have a point. We have families who are now in the fourth generation of welfare! WTF? Not one of their progeny ever had the physical ability or intellect necessary to get a job? Doubtful. They are taught by their parents how to work the system from childhood. There are parents out there who take pride in the fact they have never worked a day in their life but rather, have become masters of bilking the system. So that pisses them off and rightfully so.
Except in the case of Libertarians, they also overwhelmingly view Defense as an area not to be touched. However, Social Security and MediCare are fair game or at least to be considered.
They want bigger, more intrusive government on social issues and less government on business issues.
Contrary to the hyperbole, Liberals don't want to turn our country into a Socialist nation or do away with capitalism. They just see that rich people and corporations never have to worry about seeing a doctor, never have to worry about starving and for the most part, are never subject to the same kind of penalties for wrong-doing as everyone else. This is evidenced by the fact that if a low to middle class person defrauds someone out of $5,000, they will definitely go to jail for years. Citibank was found guilty of derfrauding regular people out of $300,000,000 and not one executive was even indicted. Corporations are handed hundreds of billions in what they rightfully view as Corporate Welfare, pay an actual average of 17.5%, and it infuriates Liberals that Conservatives complain about money given to the homeless for food stamps. They feel the best way to help the average person succeed is by making sure they won't go bankrupt due to a major illness or injury, strengthening unions, and eliminating tax breaks etc... that allow companies to benefit from offshoring income and jobs.
They view Defense as the first place to look at cuts in spending and consider Social Security and MediCare off limits because these programs go directly to the well-being of the citizenry.
They want bigger, more intrusive government on business issues and less government on social issues.

The biggest problem I see is that politicians on both sides have been so effective at deflecting culpability for their failure to work together in the best interest of the country, by pointing their collective fingers and claiming "It's ALL the OTHER SIDE's fault!".
And of course, the onus is on Americans for being stupid enough to believe politicians who make such claims.

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